Swap boring date ideas for a fun alpaca walk

If you’re tired of the conventional pub lunches and candlelit dinners for date ideas and in search of a refreshingly unique date idea, then look no further. Get out and about in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside and meet some of it’s adorable, South American inhabitants. I promise you, a date with the amazing alpacas, will certainly be one to remember.

What the heck is Alpaca Walking?

Let’s start with what an alpaca is first. According to Wikipedia:

The alpaca is a species of South American camelid mammal. It is similar to, and often confused with, the llama. However, alpacas are often noticeably smaller than llamas.

This makes them the perfect size for walking. And alpaca walking, as the name suggests, is an experience centred around leading an alpaca on a leisurely walk through the Yorkshire countryside. But it’s more than just a walk, it’s a gentle, mindful experience and is definitely best shared. With professional handlers accompanying you, don’t worry about getting it wrong or the alpaca running off. They’ll provide all the necessary instructions, ensuring that you feel comfortable and confident throughout before you set off and throughout your walk. As you amble along the pretty pathways, with an alpaca at your side, you’ll find yourself totally in the moment, enjoying a unique and delightful experience.

Why choose an alpaca walk for a date?

Three reasons – you’ll get out into nature which has loads of health benefits; you’re sharing something new and different with your partner which strengthens bonds; and lastly, you’ll make some lovely memories which will stay with you both for a long time.

Mental health benefits

According to Mind the mental health charity:

Spending time in green space or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing. For example, doing things like growing food or flowers, exercising outdoors or being around animals can have lots of positive effects

Walking an alpaca together is a great combination of being out in the stunning Yorkshire countryside and being around, frankly, some of the cutest darn animals I’ve ever seen. You’ll want to hug them. But you probably shouldn’t.

Strengthen bonds

Everyone knows how easy it is to fall into the same routine in relationship. We do the same things because we like repetition and pattern as humans, it makes us feel safe. However, it’s a bit of a passion killer unfortunately. That’s why we need to push ourselves out of our comfort zones and try new things.

Find new things to do together—whether you sign up for a cooking class as a couple or explore a city you’ve never been to—little doses of fun and excitement spark positive feelings and strengthen your bond.  From 7 Ways to Strengthen Your Relationship by Psychology Today.

Make lovely memories

You’ll have a really fun day out and make some beautiful memories together. When you’re sat at home in your matching arm chairs 50 years from now you’ll reminisce about the fantastic day out you had together walk alpacas in Yorkshire. It’s a shared experience you’ll want to remember.

Booking your alpaca experience

This is where we can really help. We know our alpaca experiences inside out, we’ve done them ourselves and we’ve met the lovely people who run them. So if you’ve got any questions, fire away. Don’t be shy.

We list a range of unique alpaca experiences, with the couples package available in North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire being a firm favourite. This particular package offers a wonderful experience where you share one alpaca. You can choose to have one each, of course, if that’s what you would prefer. If you want to go full alpaca for an experience you can spend the day with these lovely creatures on an Alpaca Wrangler course which is a very unique way of spending time together for animal loving couples.

It is worth noting that while Beacon Alpacas in North Yorkshire specifically offer an alpaca walking experience, West Yorkshire Alpacas offer an alpaca experience which could include a walk but if the alpacas are not in agreement then no walk will take place.

Written by Rachel Marshall – owner of Uniquely Local Experiences and alpaca convert. Ask her anything about the Beacon Alpaca experience which she has done and loved.